Financial Aid Overview

Goals  By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:  Define Financial Aid  Understand the Financial Aid Process  Understand Types of Financial Aid  Federal  State  Institutional/Local  Know Financial Aid Timeframes and Guidelines

What is Financial Aid?  Financial Aid is money received from:  Federal  State  Institutional  Private sources  Financial Aid is awarded to help students pay for college expenses

Types of Financial Aid  There are two types of financial aid: gift aid and self-help aid  Gift aid includes grants and scholarships – gifts of money to pay for college that don’t have to be repaid  Self-help aid includes employment and student loans that you will need to repay  Financial Aid is based on demonstrated need and is designed to help students who cannot afford the cost of attending college  Scholarships based on merit should be seen as a reward for grades, special talents, creativity, leadership, or other criteria used to select recipients

College Costs  The average cost for published tuition and fees in a public two-year in-state college per year is $2,690  The average cost for published tuition and fees in a public in-state four-year college or university per year is $8,240  Average surcharge for full-time out-of-state students at these institutions is $20,770  The average cost for published tuition and fees in a private four-year college per year is $28,500 Source for Statistics: What it Costs to Go to College College Board, 2012

The FREE Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

What is the FAFSA?  The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a form that current and prospective students must annually complete to apply for federal student aid  The FAFSA is distributed and processed by the largest source of student aid in the nation, the U.S. Department of Education  Applications are available electronically or in paper form  Students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible on or after January 1st  Completing the FAFSA is just the first step in the financial aid process

FREE!

Before Beginning the FAFSA  Check ALL application deadlines  School and state deadlines* may differ from federal guidelines  Confirm your dependency status*  Search for school codes*  Determine how you will submit the FAFSA  Electronically (up to 14 days FASTER!)  Electronic signature and submission requires a PIN. Establish a PIN before at or during the application process  Manually  Sign and mail the application to the address provided *Can be done online at

Gather important info:  Social Security Number  Driver’s License Number (if any)  2012 W-2 Forms and other records of money earned  Student: 2012 Federal Income Tax Return  Parent: 2012 Federal Income Tax Return (if you are a dependent student)  2012 untaxed income records  Current bank statements  Your current business and investment mortgage information, business and farm records, stock, bond and other investment records  Alien registration or permanent resident card (if you are not a U.S. citizen)

“FAFSA on the Web” Worksheet  Allows you to read and complete FAFSA questions before entering your information online  Questions are listed in the same order that they appear on the official electronic application  Available online at:  You can also obtain printed copies of this worksheet by calling FED-AID ( ) or through your financial aid office

Complete the FAFSA - Electronically  Go to and click on “Start A New FAFSA”  IRS Data Retrieval Tool is available  US Department of Education HIGHLY recommends using this tool  Sign and submit the electronic FAFSA with your PIN

Complete the FAFSA - Paper  You can request a paper FAFSA in English or Spanish from the Federal Student Aid Information Center by calling FED-AID ( )  A.pdf version of the application is also available at  Complete, sign, and mail the FAFSA in the pre- addressed envelope, or send it to the address indicated in the.pdf version (if you printed one)  Your FAFSA will be processed in two to three weeks  May take longer during peak processing times

Your Student Aid Report (SAR)  You will receive:  Your SAR by three to five days after your FAFSA has been processed, if you provided an E- mail address when you applied  Your paper SAR by mail seven to ten days after your FAFSA has been processed, if you did not provide an address when you applied

Your Student Aid Report (SAR)  Your SAR will contain your official Expected Family Contribution (EFC)  The U.S. Department of Education calculates your EFC, and sends your EFC to the postsecondary institutions you listed on your FAFSA  The postsecondary institution will determine how much financial aid you are eligible to receive from the following formula: Cost of Attendance (COA) - Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Financial Need

Making Corrections  If you need to make any changes to your SAR, go to the FAFSA home page at and click on “Make Corrections to a Processed FAFSA” under the “FAFSA Follow-Up” section of the home pagewww.fafsa.gov  If you received a paper SAR, you can make corrections on the paper SAR and mail it back to the address provided Check with your financial aid office BEFORE making any corrections to determine if they will file the corrections on your behalf

Information to Keep In Mind  Contact your school to determine your award eligibility  Your FAFSA may be used to apply for aid from other sources, including your school and state  If you need help filling out the FAFSA or if you have any questions about the FAFSA, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center toll-free at FED-AID  Don’t forget to apply for grants, scholarships, or other financial aid at the institution you want to attend  Use student loans as a last resort

State Grants and Scholarships

State Grants & Scholarships  The Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) administers state-funded scholarship and grant programs and the Federal Family Education Loan Program  Please visit for detailed information, applications, and deadlineswww.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org

How to Apply for State Grants & Scholarships  The Florida Financial Aid Application is available December 1st  Remember to apply early  Each scholarship and grant program has its own application deadline  Check the website for details  Go to  Click on “State Grants, Scholarships & Applications”  In the top blue toolbar, click on “Apply Here”  Click on “Initial State Student Application”  Check the website often to track application progress and make updates

Student Application

Types of State Grants & Scholarships

Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program  Scholarships based on high school academic achievement  Florida’s largest merit-based scholarship program  Three levels of scholarship awards –  Florida Academic Scholars (including Academic Top Scholars)  Florida Medallion Scholars,  Florida Gold Seal Vocational Scholars

Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program  To be considered, a student must submit a completed (error-free) Florida Financial Aid Application during his or her last year in high school (after December 1st and prior to graduation)  FAFSA is also required  Eligibility requirements can be viewed at:  factsheets/BF.htm factsheets/BF.htm  Award amounts can be viewed at:  bf/awardamt.htm bf/awardamt.htm

Bright Futures Requirements  Students are required to submit a complete, error-free FAFSA for:  Bright Futures, José Martí, Rosewood, Florida Resident Access Grant, and Access to Better Learning and Education Grant  FAFSA is required annually of initial and renewal students any time prior to disbursement  No FAFSA = No $$ 26

Bright Futures Requirements  Community service hours are required for all Bright Futures scholarships  FAS – 100 hours (increased from 75 hours)  FMS – 75 hours (increased from 0 hours)  GSV – 30 hours (increased from 0 hours) 27

Test Score Requirements Raising the Bar for Juniors, Sophomores & Freshmen Graduation Year Year of Initial Eligibility FAS SAT ACT FMS SAT ACT

2012 Legislative Changes  Spring funding for mid-year high school graduates  University of Florida Innovation Academy students receive funding in spring and summer terms  Students graduating high school in are eligible to accept an initial Bright Futures award within two years following high school graduation and to accept a renewal award for five years following high school graduation 29

2012 Legislative Changes  The Gold Seal Vocational program will remain unchanged for renewing students  Initial Gold Seal Scholars WILL NOT BE FUNDED if enrolled in an AA or BA degree program  Initial Gold Seal Scholars MAY BE FUNDED FOR UP TO 100% for the following programs of study at a Florida public or eligible Florida private postsecondary institution:  Applied Technology Diploma, up to 60 credit hours or equivalent clock hours  Technical Degree Education Program, not to exceed 72 credit hours or equivalent clock hours  Career Certificate Program, not to exceed 72 credit hours or equivalent clock hours 30

Other State Grants & Scholarships  The Initial State Student Application also determines your eligibility for other state grants and scholarships administered by the state of Florida  José Martí Scholarship Challenge Grant Fund  Rosewood Family Scholarship Program  Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans For more details about these state programs, please visit: /ProgramsOffered.htm

Other State Grants & Scholarships  Your institution will determine your eligibility for other state grants and scholarships administered by the state of Florida  Florida Student Assistance Grant  Florida Resident Access Grant  Access to Better Learning and Education Grant  Florida Work Experience Program  Mary McLeod Bethune Scholarship For more details about these state programs, please visit: /ProgramsOffered.htm

 Florida Virtual Campus ( is Florida's official online student advising system that can assist high school students, college students, parents, and even counselors to help plan and track educational progress in Floridawww.flvc.org  Go to  On the main page scroll down to “Get ready for College”  Click on the link that says “Bright Futures Scholarship Eligibility Evaluation”  Requires User ID/Password  You may use your existing facts.org login information or create a new account

Florida Virtual Campus

Bright Futures Scholarship Eligibility Evaluation

Searching for Other Types of Aid

 Free scholarship database that includes over 1.3 million scholarships worth over $3 billion  Local, national, and college-specific scholarships  Search and compare detailed college profiles  Search for internships or part-time job openings near your home or school  Recommended by more than 16,000 schools and 3,600 colleges  Access FastWeb by visiting  requires User ID and Password

Other Sources  Use to search for available monies through scholarships and grants nationwidewww.finaid.org  High School Guidance Office  Be aware of recent scholarship scams  Scams can be received via phone, letter in the mail, or  Visit the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website at for additional information on scams, or contact the FTC by calling FTC-HELP ( ) or TTY www.ftc.gov

Tax Incentive Programs  When thinking about paying for college, do not forget about some of the tax incentives that can help to make college affordable for you  American Opportunity Tax Credit  Lifetime Learning Credit

Navigating Your Financial Future OSFA offers a variety of tools and resources to assist you in your pursuit of higher education For more information, please visit:

For More Information    (Grants/Scholarships)  (Student Loans)  Outreach Representative:  (insert name)  (insert phone number)  (insert address) 41

Questions?

Thank you for attending this workshop